supporting your wellness, even on the weekends.

A common theme I hear from clients, and an omnipresent cultural belief that’s inherent in American culture, is this idea that our wellness can be prioritized Monday through Friday, but on the weekends, it’s either easier or more acceptable to fly off the handle — through diet, sleep, alcohol and drug use, inactivity, and more.

While I am a proponent for balance and firmly believe in it’s importance to lead a health-sustaining lifestyle, this black and white mentality that it must be all or nothing, black and white, and “I’ll start again on Monday” is detrimental. It almost offers the excuse that we can vacillate between extremes on the weekends to the weekdays and this can be harmful for our body’s equilibrium to keep up with. I heard a quote once that said: “Use the weekend to build the life you want instead of trying to escape the life you have.” How does this resonate? While your weekends are for you, I wonder how you might be able to continue to practice wellness-supporting behaviors, even over the Friday to Sunday stretch, so that there is continuity and less of a dichotomy between your weekday and weekend habits.

Let’s explore some ways you can continue to support your health and wellness, physically and mentally, even over the course of the weekend:

1. Shop at your farmer’s market! Take advantage of this weekend perk. As the weather gets warmer, I’m going to try and shop at my local market at least every other week for my produce. Local, seasonal produces means shorter respiration rates, which means greater nutritional value. The greater the time between the harvest fruit or vegetable to your table, the lesser the nutrition, as the plant must use it’s own nutrients to survive. Supporting local also helps support your community. Consider joining a CSA (community shared agriculture) or shopping local.

2. Meal planning and/or prepping is one of the best ways to be successful in choosing more health sustaining options. Carve out time in your day this weekend to plan nutrient dense, wholesome meals to have ready to rock for the week. This small investment in the beginning of your week yields GREAT returns as you are more prepared to navigate the chaos of your week when everything is prepared.

3. Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption! Alcohol impacts our body and our brains in a multitude of ways and is exceptionally disruptive of sleep (one of the bigger reasons I choose to seldom drink). Avoiding alcohol oil general contributes to a more health-sustaining lifestyle, however, spending the weekend without alcohol will help support your brain and body in the week ahead. Alcohol’s impact on sleep is not exclusive to your Friday or Saturday night — your body will feel this impact for the few days to follow. Consider how you might reevaluate the role that alcohol plays in your weekend and how this impacts your wellness as a result.

4. Taking rest days are an intricate part of a healthy exercise routine. Rest days can include light stretching, yoga, walking, or. simply just resting. Prioritizing active rest is nourishment for the body and prepares it for the week ahead. Conversely, choose movement on your weekends! Sometimes, the weekend allows more of an opportunity to lean into a longer workout, take your favorite workout class, or spend time in the sauna or steam room as a means of recovery (my personal favorite). Listen to your body and take what you need.

5. Maintain your weekday sleep schedule. This is both a challenge and an essential! Our sleep schedule and maintaining it’s regularity is so important to optimal wellness. Monday to Friday it can be easy to keep a rhythm in our clock, but the weekends is always where the difficulty lies. I encourage you to do your best in maintaining the same bedtime and wake time, in order to support your body and brain. While it may not always be feasible, recognizing it’s value may offer some incentive.

The weekends are meant to be spent how you see fit. However, your wellness is no less important over the weekend than it is during the week. Consider these few suggestions on how you can spend your weekends in a space of balance, both prioritizing your wellness and enjoyment simultaneously.